Convertible cantilever table having selectively vertically and horizontally shiftable cantilever top



Get. 9, 1956 F. L. JACKSON ET AL 2,756,08 CONVERTIBLE CANTILEVER TABLE HAVING SELECTIVELY VERTICALLY AND HORIZONTALLY SHIFTABLE CANTILEVER TOP Filed July 27, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 JNVENTOR. FLOYD L. JACKSON BY JOHN /v.- SAP/20 F. JACKSON ET AL 2,766,083 CONVERTIBLE CANTILEVER TABLE HAVING SELECTIVELY VERTICAL-LY AND HORIZONTALLY SHIFTABLE CANTILEVER TOP Filed July 27, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. IZOXDLJAC/(SO/WJOHN IV. SAFPO United States Patent CONVERTIBLE CANTILEVER TABLE HAVING SELECTIVELY VERTICALLY AND HORIZON- TALLY SHIFTABLE CANTILEVER TOP This invention relates generally to a convertible table and, more particularly, to a new and improved cocktail or coffee table having two table surfaces, one of the table surfaces being elevationally and horizontally displace able with respect to the other table surface.

The common cocktail or coffee table is provided with a stationary single low table surface upon which various object-s may be placed. There have been several attempts in the prior art to provide such a table with an elevationally adjustable top surface whereby the table could be more easily used for serving refreshments to guests, but a merely elevationally adjustable table top is unsuitable as an eating surface for seated persons unless chairs are brought to the table or, as is more commonly the case, the table is brought closer to a divan or couch upon which the persons are seated. A few tables have been devised which permit the horizontal movement of the table top to accommodate the seated people, but such tables have the disadvantages of being either non-elevationally adjustable or else angularly tipped during the elevational adjustment, hence requiring the removal of any articles upon the table surface before either opening or closing the table. Thus, there has long been a need for a table having a table surface which could be not only elevated from its normal low position but also extended laterally or horizontally out from nature, thereby mamtaming the upper surface in parallel relationship with respect to the lower surface at all times. In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the upper table surface is at least as large as the lower table surface so that parallelogrammic displacement of surface with respect to the lower table surface results in lateral projection of the upper table surface beyond the edge of the lower table surface.

From the above brief description, it will be obvious that the above-mentioned problems and disadvantages are completely or virtually completely overcome in and through the use of our invention.

With the above points in mind, it is an object of the present invention to provide a cocktail or cofiee table with an elevationally and horizontally displaceable sur face adapted to be constantly maintained in parallel relapivot mounting 21 and Patented Oct. 9, 1956 displaced position.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a cocktail or coffee table having two table surfaces elevationally and horizontally other whereby both of when the table is open.

displaceable with respect to each Additional and related objects will be clear to those:

skilled On order to facilitate a more complete understanding of my invention, reference will be made to the following drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of one preferred embodiment of my invention in its open or displaced position;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary, bottom view of the embodiment illustrated in Fig. l in its closed or normal position;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the table illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, with the end part of the table broken away to reveal the working parts with greater clarity, and showing the upper table surface in its open or elevationally and horizontally displaced relationship with respect to its normal position; and

Fig. 4 is a view, similar in aspect to that of Fig. 3, illustrating the upper table surface in its normal closed position.

In Fig. 1, there is shown a lower table top it having its ends 13 and 14, respectively. is provided with a surface 16 In Fig. 2, the right side of the table illustrated in Fig. 1 is shown in detail from the bottom, the left side being omitted for convenience because it is the mirror image of the right side. A thin plate 18 is fastened to the inner end 19 of the lower table top 1t and is provided with rear and front pivot mounting projections 20 and 21, respectively. A rear pivot bracket 22 and a front pivot bracket 23 are secured to the undersurface 24 of the upper table top 15. A rear support arm 25 is pivotally mounted to the rear pivot mounting projection 20 and the rear pivot bracket 22 by a rear pivot screw 26 and a rear pivot rivet 27, respectively. A front support arm 28 is pivotally mounted to the front the front pivot bracket 23 by a front pivot screw 29 and a front pivot rivet 3% respectively. Each of said support arms 25 and 28 is embraced by a pair of washers (not specifically designated) at each of the pivot points enumerated. The

a support arms 25 and 28 are laterally offset from each other so as not to interfere with each others movements. The front support arm 28 is integrally provided with an extension 31 adapted to abut against a stop projection 32, secured to the plate 18, when the upper table A top 15 is moved into its open or elevationally and table top 15.

horizontally displaced position. A counterweight 33 is secured to the front of the undersurface 34 of the lower table top 10 so as to prevent tipping of the table when it is opened and articles are resting upon the upper A guide plate 35 is fastened to the inner end 19 of the lower table top it} and is adapted to laterally contact the front support arm 28 and guide said arm in its downward movement so that the rivet 30 of the front pivot bracket 23 does not contact and mar the lower table top 15.

Fig. 3 illustrates the table in its open position, with said surfaces may be utilized the upper table top 15 both elevationally and horizontally displaced from the lower table top 10. The length of the front support arm 28 between the front pivot screw 29 and the front pivot rivet 30 is the same the length of the rear support arm 25 between the rear pivot screw 26 and the rear pivot rivet 27, and the distance between the front and rear pivot screws 29 and 26 is the same as the distance between the front and rear pivot rivets 30 and 27, said lengths and distances defining a series of parallelograms throughout all movements of the upper table top 15, thus maintaining said upper table top in a horizontal plane at all times. This type of movement has been called parallelogrammic for convenience and descriptive simplicitya Hence, the table top 15 does not have to be cleared of articles thereupon before movement either to or from the closed" or opened positions, there being no angular tipping 'of the top 15 nor interference with the surface 16 thereof. The guide plate 35 (and its counterpart 36 on the other side of the table in Fig. 1) is provided with a rounded upper surface 37 so that the front support arm 28 will be guided laterally outwardly from the lower table top during said arms downward movement. The extension 31 of the front support arm 28 is seen in abutment against the stop projection 32, thereby limiting the rearward movement of the upper table top to the position shown, Two legs 38 and 39 are fastened to the lower table top 10 in supporting relationship with respect thereto, there being two other legs (not shown) similarly placed on the other side of the table. Screws, such as 40, secure the plate 18 to the inner end 19 of the lower table top 10.

In Fig. 4, the upper table top 15 has been lowered to its closed or normal position. Several resilient tips, such as 41, which may be made of rubber or some similar material, are secured to the lower edge of the upper table top 15 so as to contact the upper edge of the lower table top 1.0 and prevent marring of the surface of said lower table top.

Numerous modifications of our invention within the spirit thereof will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and are intended to be included and comprehended herein. For instance, the support arms need not be mounted to the ends of the horizontal lower table top but may be mounted to the rear edge of said table top or to the vertical legs of the table, or both, with suitable selectively attachable and detachable connections on the ends of the upper table top, thus permitting storage of the upper table top underneath the lower table top during periods of non-use. More specifically, one modification could be the provision of two pivotal support arms, one being pivotally mounted at each end of the lower table top along the rear edge thereof so that the upper table top could be rotated from below the lower table top rearwardly out and up to the desired height and then rigidly supported by a bracing arm secured to the rear edge of the lower table top and the undersurface of the upper table top.

Another modification within the spirit of our invention would be the elimination of either the pivotal mounting or pivotal bracket of either the front or rear support arm and the provision in lieu thereof of a selectively connective and disconnective attachment means whereby the support arm may be secured to the upper table top in supporting relationship with respect thereto as desired; the support arm may be selectively adjustable in length so that the upper table top may be tilted at a desired angle, or the attachment means may be selectively slidable rearwardly and forwardly for the same purpose.

The front support arms extension and the stop projection may be eliminated as there are numerous means for limiting pivotal action of the support arms. For example, the front and/or rear pivot brackets may be provided with stop projections adapted to abut against the support arms in movement-limiting relationship with respect thereto, and such projections may be selectively positionally adjustable to permit any desired amount of rearward movement of the upper table top. Of course, the stop projection illustrated may also be adapted to be vertically and/or horizontally positionally adjustable for the same purpose.

A further modification of our invention within the spirit thereof would be the provision of a front and a rear table top adapted to restside by side in the closed position, the rear table top being elevationally and horizontally displaceable. as in the preferred embodiment.

A still further modification of the present invention would be the provision of three or more elevationally and horizontally displaceable table surfaces, each surface being pivotally mounted to and supported by the immediately preceding lower surface for parallelogrammic elevational and horizontal displacement therefrom. The surfaces may be horizontally displaceable in the same direction or in alternating forward and rearward directions, or any combination thereof.

The embodiments of the present invention specifically described and illustratedherein are examplary only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, which is to be interpreted in the light of the prior art and the appended claim only, with due consideration for the doctrine of equivalents.

We claim:

Convertible cantilever table means comprising: table base means; lower table surface means in horizontal fixed relationship above said table base means, said lower table surface means having two vertical virtually parallel spaced slots adjacent opposite ends thereof extending between opposite sides thereof; upper table surface means of substantially the same size and configuration as the lower table surface means; and supporting arm means including two sets of parallel arms, each set of parallel arms being pivotally attached to a different end of said upper table surface means and extending into diiferent ones of said slots adjacent corresponding different ends of said lower table surface means and being pivotally attached adjacent the corresponding slot, said supporting arm means normally positioning said upper table surface means in a normal horizontal position superimposed upon and virtually coextensive with respect to said lower table surface means, the pivotal engagement of said supporting means cooperating with the upper table surface means and the lower table surface means through the slot means therein for selective relative extending movement into extended cantilever relationship to support said upper table surface means in an elevationally and horizontally displaced cantilever relationship: with respect to said lower table surface means and said table base means carrying same; and outwardly projecting stop pin means carried by the lower'table surface means in projecting relationship across each of said slots in the path of travel of a corresponding one of the supporting arm means for abutting cooperation therewith during extending movement of said supporting arm means to stop the supporting arm means is extended cantilever position of the upper table surface means.

References Cited 'in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 31,312 Manson Feb. 4, 1862 1,040,255 Altermatt Oct. 8, 1912 1,824,822 Kradolfer Sept; 29, 1931 2,146,413 Aron Feb. 7, 1939 2,170,098 Stephenson- Aug. 22, 1939 2,531,140 Linde Nov. 21, 1950 2,566,668 Krii'egei" Sept. 4, 1951 2,630,559 Shade Mar. 3, 1953 

